Geographic Information System (GIS)

 

Course Code: Geog 496                         Credit Hours: 3

            Instructor: Dr. M. M. Yagoub

How to contact the instructor:

E-mail:  myagoub@uaeu.ac.ae

   E-mail:   myagoub@hotmail.com

URL  :    https://www.angelfire.com/mo/yagoub

Text Book

Burrough, P. A. and R. A. McDonnell, 1998.  Principles of Geographical Information Systems. Oxford University Press, London.

 

Course description

 

This course provides an in depth introduction to the fundamentals of GIS including the history of automated mapping. The course will include a brief introduction to basic cartographic principles including maps scales, coordinate systems and map projections.  An in depth review of the necessary hardware and software elements used in GIS will be made. The course is presented in a lecture/laboratory format. The lecture portion will deal with conceptual issues in GIS database design and development, analysis, and display. The laboratory portion will provide students with hands-on contact with GIS software products, such as ARC/INFO and ArcView.

 

Objectives

 

1.      To develop an understanding of GIS (hardware, software, data, people, methodology)

2.      To expose the students to the applications of GIS in various geographical areas such as physical, environmental, and local planning

 

 

 

 

 

Teaching Methodology

 

1.      Lectures tutorial, internet search, and computer hands-on

2.      Lectures and exercises will be available online at the above website

 

Assessment

 

Final Exam                                 40%

Mid Term Exam                        25%

Quiz                                           10%

Course work (Lab)                    20%

Computer presentation               5%

                

                Total                        100%

 

 

 

TOPICS

 

The topics listed below indicate the general sequence of content areas presented in              the lecture portion of the course. Lab content will be coordinated with the lecture              topics, as possible, to provide reinforcement of the material as well as hand-on use

of software in a supervised environment.

 

Week	Topic
Week 1	Intro to Automated Geography (Definition; The history of GIS; Components of GIS)
Week 2	Spatial Analysis: The Foundation of Modern Geography
Week 3	The Map as a Model of Geographic
Week 4	Data: The Language of Spatial Thinking
Week 5	Cartographic and GIS Data Structures (Relational database management systems)
Week 6	GIS Data Input
Week 7	Data Storage and Editing
Week 8	Visit to governmental and private departments implementing GIS
Week 9	Elementary Spatial Analysis
Week10	Measurement
Week11	Presentation of GIS projects
Week12	Future of GIS (Web-based GIS, Mobile Mapping)
Week13	Revision

 

 

Projects

 

Students must be divided into groups of 5 and each group must execute one of the following projects before the end of the semester :

 

1. GIS database for Petrol stations in Al Ain (ADNOC) (name, capacity, company, Personnel, service area)
2. GIS database for Schools in Al Ain (name, number of students and staff, type)
3. GIS database for Mosques in Al Ain (name, capacity, facilities, personnel)
4. GIS database for Roads in Al Ain (name, length, direction, type, traffic volume)
5. GIS database for agricultural farms in Al Ain (name, legal area, type of crop)
6. GIS database for telecommunication (Etisalat) (Telephones, switches, network)
7. GIS database for health facilities in Al Ain (hospitals, clinics, number of beds, specialists, services available, etc.)
8. GIS database for roads in the UAE (width, type, accidents, volume of traffic)